Push Back Against Gays in History Books

Opponents are gearing up for a referendum against SB 48, a measure signed by Jerry Brown on July 13th. The law would revise current requirements that mandate inclusion of “Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups to the total development of California and the United States.” In addition to these groups, Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans would be added to the list of groups to be considered. A summary and final text of the bill can be found here.

Pacific Justice Institute and Capitol Resource Family Impact, an offshoot of Capitol Resource Institute are leading a coalition that seeks to gather about 505,000 signatures in the next three months so that a repeal initiative can be placed on the ballot next year. Pacific Justice Institute’s website describes the group as “a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties.” The second group’s site states “The mission of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) is to educate, advocate, protect, and defend family-friendly policies in the California state legislature and at local government levels.”

Opponents of the bill focus on the inclusion of members of the gay community, saying that contributors to history should be judged based on their work, not their sexual identities. They also say such inclusion would be offensive to families who shun homosexuality for religious or moral reasons.

Another concern is the impact California could have on other states throughout the country. As one of the nation’s population centers, textbook publishers tend to cater to requirements of the school system here, offering the same books for sale in other areas that don’t carry the clout to demand texts tailored to their liking. Similar arguments were lodged in early 2010 when Texas, another large schoolbook buyer, requested amendments to its history texts downplaying the role of Thomas Jefferson, questioning separation of church and state, and positing that the U.S. government was infiltrated by Communists during the Cold War.

The law is slated to take effect January 1, but due to budgetary concerns and time required to revise textbooks, implementation could run through 2015. Unless, that is, the law is brought before the public and rejected by voters.

I am in a pickle on this one-I am for equal protection and equal rights for all, but FORCING the inclusion seems to be micromanaging the schools, and I think there are better ways to do this and better things for government to focus on.

I would let the text book writers put in whomever they feel is worthy, and make it their call. Thye are the experts at history-not the state. We are a very liberal state, there are plenty of CA textbook writers here that could make this call on who is included.

As I think you know very well, SurfPup, California schools are now and have been micromanaged for decades. Failures at one level of management have led to more, not less, close-in management. It is the formula for a downward spiral (i.e. circling the drain) where each disappointing step leads to another step which in turn disappoints. If you only knew all the inclusionary mandates that come out of Sacto and how they are treated at the school level, you would run away screaming. This is only the latest of those mandates.

Maybe I don't understand, but my first impression was that this was, in effect, a law requiring the "outing" of those already in the history books who were "considered" (by whom?) to have been homosexual.

Textbooks are a racket anyway, and the education systems tend to interfere with intellectual development more than promote it. (This is not to say, however, that they don't function well enough--though that's debatable--in training cogs for the technical/cultural machinery.)